Donna Brabin is an experienced relationship manager and commercial leader with a digital health SaaS sales background. We’re delighted to welcome her on board to support our mission at Everon Group to transform people’s lives through the power of data-driven technology.
She has a passion for making lives easier through tech and innovation, especially in healthcare software. Her experience in delivering SaaS based solutions and building long lasting relationships makes her a great addition to our sales team in the U.K.
Her enthusiasm and past experience navigating the complex world of the UK’s National Health Service will not only be useful for us as a team but also for raising understanding of the impact our intelligent, wireless cloud-based solutions can bring.
Donna is mum to a teenage daughter, two eight-year-old stepsons and a dog called Frida, named about the artist Frida Kahlo. Donna says: "I love people, music, art and most of all my family. I’d say I’m a positive person and extremely grateful for what I've got.
“I have a ‘life’s too short’ outlook on life and try to have as much fun as I can. I jumped out of a plane in 2023, that worked out ok thank goodness, although I wouldn’t do it again, once is enough."
“I’m already loving being a part of Everon Group. It’s an exciting time to be joining the company and I’m looking forward to showcasing what makes us stand out from the rest in delivering the highest quality person-centred care.”
Mark Smith is Everon Group’s UK Director of Sales and Marketing. Since joining the business last autumn, he has championed the latest in digital wireless cloud-based solutions for supported housing and commissioners of adult social care services. Thanks to hard work and passion across the team, the effort is paying off in the UK.
In this piece he explores how technology enabled care in supported housing and other health and social care settings can deliver return on investment, how ready the UK market is for digital switchover, and the importance of thinking less about the kit and more on the capabilities of software for improving person-centred care and the central data capture that sits within it. By using software that offers data, trends and insights it will support their own company strategies in delivering a more connected approach to services.
Bringing smart technology to person centred care
In over 20 years of working in the sector, Mark has seen many false dawns when it comes to the take up of smart technology within housing and adult social care in the UK. Could 2025 be the year it changes? It certainly looks that way.
Using TEC to deliver return on investment
While smart technology has been embraced in a range of sectors and industries from banking to energy suppliers, it has yet to have the same impact within supported housing and social care settings. From temperature control to sensors in cars that inform drivers when it’s time to inflate their tyres, the potential has long been there.
A combination of ongoing challenges impacting the care sector and exciting advances in data-driven technology is changing things at last.
“There are far more discussions now by housing and social care providers in the UK around return on investment,” Mark says, “That’s not just in monetary terms but outcomes for service users too. More providers are looking at how they can evolve their services to be more proactive.”
Digital switchover focusing minds
This was already happening before the change in government last July but has accelerated in the months since and - with digital switchover fast approaching - is now at a tipping point.
This has partly been through necessity as service commissioners grapple with the challenges of attracting enough staff, increased demand for services caused by demographic changes and rising costs plus policy reforms from Whitehall aimed at delivering a more prevention-led model of care.
“You’re in a situation where you’re losing people but not recruiting at the same rate. It’s the perfect storm of needing to deliver more things to more people with less resources and less money,” Mark added.
One thing that has changed the conversation in the months since Mark joined Everon Group is the growing awareness of AI and machine learning – including sensor-led technology that can provide staff with the data needed to pinpoint changes in behaviour and detect any deterioration in health at the earliest stage.
“The talk around machine learning and AI has increased significantly, even in the last six months. Our focus at Everon Group is to show how these technologies can support care providers in sustainably and safely delivering cost-effective, high-quality services,” Mark said.
Leading the conversation at ITEC 2025
This year’s ITEC conference in Birmingham provided the perfect opportunity to have that conversation with people working on housing and social care about where they are in their digital transformation journey. The team is now following up with more than 60 potential future clients spoken to over the course of the two-day event. The common theme from those spoken with at the event was a recognition that they may have limited financial resources, but they still need to do digital transformation.
“They were looking not just for the type of services the need to deliver now but also the need for data and the understanding of what AI and machine learning could bring,” Mark said.
Digital switchover is fast approaching
While there is still time for action, the long awaited switch off for analogue telephone networks by UK communication providers, in just over a year, and the implications for legacy telecare systems is focusing minds, not least in terms of making decisions on future investment.
“The timescale are tight if providers are to upgrade their systems before analogue telephone networks are switched off in January 2027, Mark says, “ITEC 2025 provided a chance to consider together what the implications, how they’re going to deliver, and what we – as a business – could do to help.”
Many housing and social care providers already have strategies in place that have a connected approach to delivering services to support a more preventative model of care. The conversation at ITEC and other events over recent months have revolved around putting those ambitions into action.
“A significant number in the care industry are still doing the market testing and are only starting their digital transformation now, even with timescales of less than a year. There is still time to get things sorted, and it’s vital that they make the right decision,” Mark said.
“Their choice is changing a blue one for a red one and getting what they’ve always got – and worse if they go for a short term ‘sticking plaster’ solution – or a digital cloud-based wireless solutions set up to provide data, trends and insights that will deliver for today and for the long-term as their services evolve, and more importantly supports their own company strategies in delivering a more connected approach to services.”
Understanding where technology is headed
From the conversations with those attending ITEC 2025 the challenge is one of understanding where technology is headed and how we can support them now and into the future. That includes being able to fund new digital systems. With that in mind, Everon Group has put flexible commercial options in place to help spread the cost of investment, including leasing terms thanks to a partnership with Siemens.
“Our focus is less on the kit – but on the capabilities of the software and its central data capture that sits within it. With our partnership approach, we can help our customers get the most out of this intelligent technology and data it provides moving at their pace while planning for the long term,” Mark said.
“SaaS based models in other sectors allows customers, whether in the public or private sectors to now consider revenue and capital options as a basis – such as price per month or per connection. That is where we’re headed as a sector.
“We are a business that are looking to evolve the services we provide over time into a more Saas based data-led ecosystem that provide data, trend and insights to care providers so they know where they should be focussing their efforts by being able to step in at the right time, whether that’s early intervention or putting in place a care package.
“If we’re to move to a preventative model of care then there is a real opportunity to make a real impact by using technology as an enabler for truly person-centred care.”
Everon Group works directly in the UK with commissioners of grouped or supported housing services – from housing associations to care home networks, local authorities to integrated care boards.
We specialise in cloud-based wireless technology that analyses data to provide insight for early detection of improvements or indeed declines in living independently social and healthcare issues to match personalised care. Everon Group partners include Clarion Housing, Hyde Housing, Community Housing and Jewish Care to name a few working in continued partnership on the digital transformation of their estates.
To find out more about how Everon Group can support your organisation book a consultation and we’ll be in touch.
Everon today announces new global branding to support its mission to transform the lives of people needing care across Scandinavia and the U.K. through the power of technology, including AI. It brings together the strengths of its business in Sweden, Finland and the U.K and follows the implementation of streamlined operations that came into force at the start of the year.
The company will be known as Everon Group under the overall leadership of Juha Sarsama, Deputy CEO. He will be supported by a four-strong global leadership team, namely Pasi Oksa, Group Chief Technical Officer, Antti Miettinen, Group Chief Financial Officer, Maud Waltersson, Vice-President of Global Operations and Peter Kerly, Vice-President of Global Sales.
The new branding and structural changes coincide with an exciting time for suppliers of technology enabled care with the advent of AI and machine learning revolutionising how care is provided with Everon taking a lead in developing safe cost-effective and scalable digital solutions that puts the individual first.
Everon has gone from strength to strength since its story began in 2004 in Finland with the U.K joining in 2009 and Sweden the following year. The U.K. is the European market leader for grouped digital solutions – supporting over 41,000 clients since 2020. Finland and Sweden, meanwhile, focus on care homes and homecare, handling almost 19.5 million alerts since December 2024. The combined group will provide solutions that accommodates all markets and position Everon for future growth.
Juha Sarsama, Deputy Chief Executive, Everon Group, said: “This is a big moment for Everon Group. The new branding announced today is part of a wider strategy to give the company a sharper focus to deliver technology solutions, improve service provision and transform people’s lives.
“While day-to-day operations will remain largely unchanged, the move towards a more global structure is an exciting one. For those leading on health and care across Europe, we want to be your partner in safely meeting the challenge of supporting a growing older population. That conversation starts with putting the individual first – and that is the mission we will continue to deliver.”
Peter Kerly, VP, Global Sales for the U.K., Finland and Sweden said: “The announcement of a new global brand is part of an exciting new chapter for Everon, with much more to come in the weeks and months ahead.
“Sweden, Finland and the U.K are at different stages of digital transformation. We will be stronger for bringing the strengths and experience of our teams in each country together. Together we intend to support our clients in embracing the AI and machine learning revolution that is delivering cost effective, safe and scalable digital solutions to deliver a prevention-led model of care.”
Everon has become a trusted partner of clients working across community health, social care and housing over the past 21 years. Inspired by the respected Nordic model of care that puts family and community first, the business has been focuses from the start on delivering person-centred care.
Today Everon has more than 100,000 connections in place across the three regions with a range of cloud-based wireless and data-driven technologies and a proven SaaS (Software as a Service) approach that has allowed more people to live independently at home for longer.
This, in turn, has contributed to reducing cost and meeting the impact of demographic pressures on health and social care services across all three regions. As Everon Group, the business intends to capitalise on market opportunities for predictive care using AI and machine learning.
Over the past year the company has shifted from traditional digital wearable solutions such as pendants to passive cloud-based intelligent systems. These systems monitor behaviour using sensors around the home, without the need for wearables. This automated data feeds into a central portal that provides health and social care setting with crucial data and insights that can allow intervention to support people at risk, including the elderly and vulnerable at the earliest opportunity.
To support this change, the company has signed strategic partnerships to explore the full potential of AI and machine learning, including an agreement in the U.K. with Manchester-based Howz exploring the development of the next generation of remote monitoring technology. The move to intelligent cloud-base systems has allowed for better patient care, improved risk management and more efficient delivery. As Everon Group, the company is determined to build the momentum with further exciting partnerships and products in development.
It’s the ITEC 2025 conference in Birmingham next week, once again bringing together thought leaders, innovators and professionals to exchange new ideas and forge new partnerships.
Ahead of the event we contributed to a blog produced by the Housing Learning and Improvement Network : a dynamic community of over 15,000 housing, health and social care professionals across England, Wales and Scotland.
The blog coincided with the publication of the Telecare National Action Plan by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, setting out measures to support providers of supported and specialist housing as they prepare for digital switcover, expected to take place by January 2027.
We were invited as a supplier of technology enhanced housing and care services – and a member of Housing Lin - to share our views on the Action Plan and the proposed measures to ensure digital readiness across the sector.
If you’ve not read it, the Action Plan recognises the potential that the new digital era can bring revolutionising the way that telecare is provided across various settings – from single units and grouped schemes in supported housing to extra care housing and helping people to stay independent in their own homes.
It also explains that those who provide support need to take appropriate safeguarding actions to ensure digital phone switchover doesn’t impact the safety of those in their care. That starts with making the right investment decisions to upgrade systems for the new digital world.
In the Housing Lin blog, Peter Kerly, VP Group Sales and Marketing, highlighted the importance of digital investment for reliable assisted living, commenting:
“At Everon we have literally been sounding the alarm for some time at the lack of urgency by some in the industry toward digital switchover and the necessary investment to safeguard those in their care. With this action plan in place, our hope is that housing providers who have delayed their investment decisions for whatever reason, will now put their trust in the future and make the right calls.
“The window for action may be closing fast but it’s crucial even at this late stage that housing providers embrace the potential of technology, recognising the benefits of innovative, data-driven solutions now on the market. That means steering clear of products that are digital in name only and analogue in delivery.
“This not a time for ‘elastoplast’ solutions which will fail to meet the challenges that many providers face and are not going to disappear come January 2027. It’s vital that those providing support for assisted living invest their finite resources in systems that will benefit the wider health and social care ecosystem – easing pressures and reducing costs for the long term.” To read the blog ‘TAPPI days – A Telecare National Plan for Action’ in full, visit the Housing Lin website. To start a conversation about how we can support your organisation, come find us on Stand 11 at ITEC 2025 or book a free consultation today.
